Arsonist could face 45-year sentence

South Bend man convicted in string of south-side fires.

South Bend man convicted in string of south-side fires.

June 14, 2006|PATRICK M. O'CONNELL Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- A South Bend man charged with a string of arsons on the city's south side was found guilty Tuesday night on eight arson-related federal charges. A U.S. DistrictCourt jury convicted Jeremy Scott Craft on six counts of arson and two counts of using the fires to intimidate. Two of the fires were racially motivated, authorities said, leading to the intimidation charges. The jury believed the government's contention that Craft set two of the blazes to target the residences of a black man and a Mexican-American family. "Arson is by itself a very serious crime and a danger to persons who either live in the buildings or houses and those who go to put the fires out," Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald J. Schmid said. "It's especially heinous when someone commits this type of violence out of racial or ethnic bias." Craft could face 45 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29. Craft's attorney, H. Jay Stevens, declined to comment after the verdicts were read. Craft was convicted of setting fire to buildings at 1612 S. Michigan St., 242 and 311 E. and 807 W. Indiana Ave., 1508 E. Carroll St., 618 E. Broadway Ave. and 1615 S. Columbia St. between January 2005 and January 2006. Craft reportedly told several acquaintances he was setting the fires and returned excitedly from the scene of one blaze and said "that building's really toastin'," according to testimony at the trial. "It was Mr. Craft's own words that betrayed him," Schmid said during his closing statement. At two scenes, a red gasoline can was left behind, according to the government's photographs, and several expert witnesses described in detail why they believed the fires were set intentionally. "This series of crimes terrorized a neighborhood for more than a year," Schmid said. "With this verdict, and the expected sentence, we've been able to take a dangerous person off the streets."Staff writer Patrick M. O'Connell: poconnell@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6357